UK and Europe: The threebiggest questions this year

» Uncertainty in the UK after the Brexit vote has people concerned about staffing in their compliance programs and in
their companies.

» The new European General Data Protection Act threatens large penalties, but for whom and when? Those are
big questions.

» The UK Modern Slavery Act has highlighted the problem of slavery and human trafficking in supply chains, but hasn’t
provided much guidance on how deep into the supply chain businesses need to go.

» Finding and eradicating modern slavery within a supply chain can be challenged by contractual obligations, lack of audit
rights, and data privacy concerns.

» There are more questions than answers right now in Europe with respect to Brexit, the GDPR, and the Modern
Slavery Act.

There are three big questions on everyone’s mind here in the UK and Europe this year. The answer to eachmay strongly affect the profitability andsuccess of every company, as well as the futureof the compliance function.

Question 1: What happens after Brexit?

The exiting of Britain from theEuropean Union (EU) is going tobe a multi-year process. The newsin London focuses on the changingpositions and negotiations betweenthe UK and EU, but companies are concernedonly with how the outcome will affect them.

One of the biggest concerns affecting
UK and EU companies revolves around the
immigration status and ability to work for its
non-native employees. London in particular
is full of EU citizens who currently have the
right to work in the UK without any visa
status. Likewise, many Brits are transferred
into Europe by their companies each year.

Many employers are concerned that their
highly qualified and experienced team
members (including compliance professionals)

may have difficulty working within the UK
after Brexit, and many Brits who have moved
abroad to work in places like Paris or Madrid
may find themselves without the automatic
right to work within the EU.

This uncertainty is unlikely to be resolved
soon, but it’s on everyone’s mind.

Question 2: What happens after GDPR comesinto force?

The European General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) comes into force on

by Kristy Grant‑Hart

The exiting of Britain from theEuropean Union (EU) is goingto be a multi-year process.